Clippers take top ranked spot in East Region

Clippers take top ranked spot in East Region

Bronxville, NY - The Concordia College Men's Tennis were ranked at the top of the East Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).  The team was also ranked 9th in the ITA/NCAA Division II.  This is the second time in the Clippers history where the team was ranked in the top 10 in the country.

"A few years ago my assistant coach Daniel Rockhill and I set the goal of being top 10 in the country and winning the National Championship. At that time it was just a dream. Now we have accomplished half of that goal. One down one to go!" states Coach Tarangioli.

Not only did the team take the top spot in the East Region but the six players were ranked in the top ten in the regional singles and the three doubles pairs took the top three slots in the regional doubles rankings. 

Alex Grubin, a senior from Belgrade, Serbia, has been in atop the singles rankings in the East Region continues his reign as #1 in the East Region.  Grubin also maintains his #2 slot in the country.  His only loss this season in singles play was due to an injury and came to doubles partner Andrey Boldarev in the ITA East Regional Tournament.

Andrey Boldarev, a sophomore from Tashkent, Uzbekistan maintains his #2 ranked slot in singles in the East Region but jumps from 33rd to 3rd in the country in singles.  Boldarev was victorious in the ITA East Regional Tournament taking the singles title and then finishing in second place in the ITA National Tournament in Alabama.

Alex Grubin and Andrey Boldarev were not only ranked in singles but ranked in the doubles.  With a dominating ITA East Regional Tournament Title win and then taking the ITA National Division II title in Alabama Grubin and Boldarev found themselves atop the rankings at the #1 spot in doubles for the East Region.  They also found themselves in the #1 spot in the country in doubles.  This is the first time that any Clipper doubles team has been on top in the country in doubles. 

With Grubin and Boldarev leading the way on the rankings the rest of the team followed suit.  Raphael Namias, a freshman from Paris, France, found himself for the first time ranked in singles at the #4 slot in the East Region.  Felix Missal, a sophomore from Dusseldorf, Germany was also ranked in the top ten of the East Region in singles as he sits in the #8 spot.  Namias and Missal also proved their doubles team was worth it as well as they took the #2 spot in doubles in the East Region behind Grubin and Boldarev.

Tamas Dobrotka, a sophomore from Ada, Serbia was another one of the Clippers found on the East Region singles ranking scale at the #5 spot.  Dobrotka's doubles partner Andreas Lindell, a freshman from Helsingborg Skane, Sweden, was right behind sitting in the #6 spot in singles in the East Region.  Dobrotka and Lindell also followed suit in the doubles rankings as they were ranked 3rd in the East Region by the ITA. 

Coach Tarangioli" Years ago our team was perennially ranked in the top 10 in the East and we always had a guy or two in the top 20 in Singles & Doubles. We have come a long way and now we are the standard bearers for the rest of the Region. Our top six guys are in the top ten and all three doubles teams are in the top 5.  We have talented players as well as dedicated coaches and we work very hard to excel! "

The next rankings for Men's Tennis will come out in the beginning of March 2010.